Batman's Newest Partner Will Be Pulp Hero 'The Shadow'

Batman and Robin. They go together like peanut butter and jelly, peas and carrots, burgers and fries, etc. But in a new crossover comic book series from DC Comics, Condé Nast, and Dynamite Entertainment, the Caped Crusader is getting a brand new partner - one who's been fighting crime for even longer than he has.

Pulp hero The Shadow, who first appeared on radio in 1930 and served as an inspiration to Batman's own creation in 1939, is teaming up with the Dark Knight in an upcoming limited series, Batman/The Shadow. The six-part series begins in April, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and will be written by Scott Snyder and Steve Orlando, with art by Riley Rossmo.

This actually marks the second time the two heroes have shared the page - they actually met in a Batman comic back in the '70s. But this certainly marks the lengthiest and most involved team up for these two iconic guardians of the night.

The series sees Batman investigating a murder, and the evidence indicates Lamont Cranston, AKA The Shadow, is the culprit. But as far as Batman can tell, Cranston died decades ago. Here's what Orlando had to say about the crossover:

"To bring together the World's Greatest Detective and the World's Greatest Mystery is an honor. Batman/The Shadow will pay tribute to legacies in comics and pulp fiction, as the two characters meet in a generations-deep conflict unlike any they've seen before, with a case that stretches back to the origins of time and which will redefine murder."

Just in case that description didn't sound awesome enough, the two heroes will also engage in a pretty epic knock down, drag out fight. Here's some art drawn by Rossmo, previewed below:

The series will hit stores and online on April 26, and if it goes well, then maybe we can look forward to Alec Baldwin's version of The Shadow from the 1994 film of the same name joining Ben Affleck's The Batman. But probably not.